Modular Solar Panel Assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular solar panel assembly includes a pair of mounting rails that extend parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction. First and second handle members extending laterally between the mounting rails are provided at longitudinal end portions of the mounting rails. One or more cross members that extend laterally between the mounting rails are also provided. A plurality of solar panels are attached to the pair of mounting rails. A gap is defined between each of the handle member and the closest corresponding edge of the plurality of solar panels. A vertical thickness of the first and second handle members is less than a vertical thickness of the pair of mounting rails.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a solar panel assembly and, inparticular, to a modular system for assembling and interconnecting solarpanels.

BACKGROUND

Solar panels, which are made up one or more solar cells (also calledphotovoltaic cells), are widely used as a renewable sources of energyfor commercial as well as residential applications. Solar panels can beparticularly useful for field-deployable applications where electricitymay not otherwise be available. A simplified approach to transporting,assembling, and/or installing solar panels will be especially useful forsuch applications.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the subject matter described in thisapplication, a modular solar panel assembly includes a pair of mountingrails that extend parallel to each other along a longitudinal directionof the solar panel assembly, a first handle member extending laterallybetween the pair of mounting rails at a first longitudinal end portionof the mounting rails, a second handle member extending laterallybetween the pair of mounting rails at a second longitudinal end portionof the mounting rails opposite the first longitudinal end portion, oneor more cross members that extend laterally between the pair of mountingrails, the one or more cross members being positioned between the firstand second handle members in the longitudinal direction, and a pluralityof solar panels that are attached to the pair of mounting rails, theplurality of solar panels being arranged adjacent to each other alongthe longitudinal direction. A first gap is defined between the firsthandle member and a first longitudinal edge of the plurality of solarpanels that is closest to the first handle member, and a second gap isdefined between the second handle member and a second longitudinal edgeof the plurality of solar panels that is closest to the second handlemember. A vertical thickness of the first and second handle membersalong a vertical direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal andlateral directions is less than a vertical thickness of the pair ofmounting rails.

Implementations according to this aspect may include one or more of thefollowing features. For example, a cross-sectional area of the one ormore cross members may be greater than a cross-sectional area of thefirst and second handle members. The first and second handle members mayhave a circular cross-section. The first and second handle members mayinclude a textured or rubberized outer surface. Also, the pair ofmounting rails and the one or more cross members may have a rectangularcross-section. The plurality of solar panels may be attached to an uppersurface of the pair of mounting rails.

In some implementations, an airflow passage may be defined between alower surface of the plurality of solar panels and an upper surface ofthe one or more cross members and the first and second handle members.The airflow passage may extend continuously from the first longitudinalend portion to the second longitudinal end portion. In some cases, thefirst and second members and the pair of mounting rails may define openfaces at respective longitudinal end surfaces of the solar panelassembly. Here, the upper surface of the one or more cross members maybe positioned vertically lower than the upper surface of the pair ofmounting rails. The pair of mounting rails and the one or more crossmembers may define interior conduits.

In some implementations, the modular solar panel assembly according tothis aspect may further include a plurality of support legs that extendvertically downward from the first and second longitudinal end portionsof the mounting rails to elevate the plurality of solar panels from aground surface. Accordingly, the modular solar panel assembly may beconfigured to be free standing on the ground surface via the pluralityof support legs. In some cases, the modular solar panel assembly mayfurther include a gutter structure that is accommodated in one or bothof the first and second gaps. Here, the gutter structure may beconfigured to receive water flowing from upper surfaces of the pluralityof solar panels. The gutter structure may include one or more sidespouts that extend laterally beyond the lateral outer surfaces of themounting rails to discharge the received water.

In some implementations, a metal frame may surround a periphery of eachof the plurality of solar panels, the metal frame defining a spaceunderneath the solar panel. One or more of the one or more cross membersmay be provided at positions that correspond to gaps defined betweenadjacent ones of the plurality of solar panels. Alternatively, one ormore of the one or more cross members may be provided at positions thatdo not overlap with gaps defined between adjacent ones of the pluralityof solar panels. In some cases, a pressure washing system may beprovided at one longitudinal end of the solar panel assembly. Thepressure washing system may be configured to spray water onto a surfaceof the solar panel. Water supply pipes may be disposed inside themounting rails. The water supply pipes may be configured to supplypressurized water to the pressure washing system.

In some implementations, a solar panel system may include a plurality ofthe modular solar panel assemblies according to this aspect. Here, theplurality of modular solar panel assemblies may be arranged adjacent toeach other along the lateral direction and coupled to each other viacoupling holes defined at lateral outer surfaces of the mounting rails.In some cases, the solar panel system may further include a plurality ofsupport legs that extend vertically downward from four corner regions ofthe solar panel system to elevate the plurality of the modular solarpanel assemblies from a ground surface. Accordingly, the solar panelsystem may be configured to be free standing on the ground surface viathe plurality of support legs.

These and other aspects, features, and implementations will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, including the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example modular solar panelassembly.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the solar panel assembly ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of area A in FIG. 1

FIGS. 4 and 5 show top and side views, respectively, of internalstructures of the solar panel assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view of the solar panel assembly 10 taken alongline D-D in FIG. 2 according to one implementation.

FIG. 7 shows a cutaway view of the solar panel assembly 10 taken alongline D-D in FIG. 2 according to an alternative implementation.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an example solar panel system mountedon a shipping container.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of an example free-standing solar panelassembly.

FIG. 10 shows a close-up view of area E in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of an example free-standing solar panelsystem.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of an example gutter structure.

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of an example solar panel assemblyincorporating the gutter structure of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an example solar panel assemblyhaving a pressure washing system.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show close-up views of areas F and Gin FIG. 14,respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, one or more example implementations will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example solar panel assembly according toone implementation is shown.

As illustrated, a solar panel assembly 10 includes a pair of mountingrails 11 that are arranged to be parallel to each other and elongatedalong a longitudinal direction of the solar panel assembly 10. Themounting rails 11 can be made from various materials, including but notlimited to metal, plastic, wood, and fiberglass, and may include variousopenings and coupling features as will be described further below. Inone example, preformed aluminum rectangular tubes, for example having awidth of 2 inches and a height of 4 inches, may be used by being cut tothe desired length.

A first handle member 12 and a second handle member 13 may be disposedlaterally between the pair of mounting rails 11. The handle members 12,13 may be configured to promote ease of grasping and handling by a user.Accordingly, the handle member 12, 13 may have a circular cross-sectionwith a diameter, D_(h), of approximately 1 to 3 inches. Other types ofcross-sections, for example rectangular, may be used in some cases. Insome cases, the handle members may include a textured/soft/rubbersurface to provide improved grip and comfort for the user.

Axial centers of each of the handle members 12, 13 may be positionedapproximately 2 to 3 inches away from corresponding longitudinal ends ofthe mounting rails 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the lateral ends of thehandle member 12, 13 may pass through an entire width of the mountingrails 11 through corresponding openings provided at the rails 11 to besecurely attached, for example via press fitting and/or welding. In somecases, the lateral ends of the handle members 12, 13 may be affixed tojust the inner surfaces of the mounting rails 11 without being furtherinserted into the mounting rails 11. The handle members 12, 13 may bemade from same or different material as the mounting rails 11. In somecases, the handle members 12, 13 may be removably coupled to themounting rails 11 such that they can be removed after installation ofthe solar panel assembly 10 at the desired location.

One or more solar panels 15 may be attached to the mounting rails 11 asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each solar panel 15 may be made up of aplurality of smaller solar cells. In some cases, as illustrated, thesolar panel may be surrounded by a frame that can provide additionalstructural support and protection. The frame may be made from metal andmay surround an entire periphery of each solar panel 15. In some cases,the frame may be vertically thicker than the solar cells such that anempty space is defined below the solar panel 15. The empty space canhelp provide additional cooling to the underside of the solar panel 15and can also provide space underneath for the various wiring associatedwith the solar panel 15.

As illustrated, the solar panels 15 may be arranged to be adjacent toeach other along the longitudinal direction of the mounting rails 11.While FIG. 1 shows four solar panels 15 that are arranged to be adjacentto each other in a 4×1 configuration, other configurations—such as 3×1or 5×1 just to name a few—may be used depending on the size of thepanels and/or the length of the rails. Adjacent solar panels 15 may bepositioned to be in close contact with each other. In some cases,gaskets or other sealing elements may be disposed between adjacent solarpanels to help prevent water from flowing to the underside.Alternatively, the solar panels 15 may be positioned to define a gapbetween adjacent panels. For example, a gap of approximately 0.5 inchesmay be provided between panels. Such gaps may help compensate forthermal expansion and may also provide a flow path for additional aircirculation underneath the panels.

The solar panels 15 may be mounted to an upper surface of the mountingrails 11 using bolts or other types of fasteners. For example, the uppersurface of the mounting rails 11 can include a plurality of mountingholes 18 (FIG. 4) that are configured to receive the bolts/fasteners tothereby attach the solar panels 15 to the mounting rails 11.

While various commercially available solar panels can be used, each ofthe solar panels 15 may have, for example, a width in the lateraldirection between 60 and 65 inches and a length in the longitudinaldirection of between 40 and 45 inches. In some cases, as seen in FIG. 2,the width of the solar panels 15 may be slightly smaller, for example by1 to 2 inches, than the overall width of the solar panel assembly 10such that the a portion of the mounting rails 11 protrude laterallyoutward beyond the solar panels 15. This configuration can help provideadditional edge protection to the solar panels 15, particularly duringshipping or installation. The overall size of the resulting assembly 10may be optimized to fit within a standard shipping container, as will befurther described below.

In some implementations, the solar panels 15 may be positioned entirelybetween the inner surfaces of the pair of mounting rails 11. Forexample, the lateral outer surfaces of the solar panels 15 may beaffixed to corresponding inner surfaces of the pair of mounting rails 11such that the entire solar panel 15 is disposed between the mountingrails 11. In such cases, the solar panels 15 may be positioned such thatthe uppermost surfaces of the solar panels 15 are recessed downwardrelative to the uppermost surfaces of the mounting rails 11.Accordingly, the surface of the solar panels 15 may further be protectedby the mounting rails 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, air gaps may be defined between the solar panels 15and the handle members 12, 13. For example, a first air gap 16 may bedefined between the first handle member 12 and a parallel edge of thesolar panel 15 positioned closest to the first handle member 12.Similarly, a second air gap 17 may be defined between the second handlemember 13 and a parallel edge of the solar panel 15 positioned closestto the second handle member 13. The air gaps 16, 17 may span across anentire lateral width of the solar panel assembly 10 and can each have alength of between 6 and 9 inches, for example, in the longitudinaldirection. The air gaps 16, 17 can provide sufficient spacing betweenthe handle members 12, 13 and the solar panels 15 such that rigginghooks and other types of securing means can be latched on to the handlemember 12, 13 during transport and installation without coming intocontact with and potentially damaging the solar panels 15. The air gaps16, 17 can further provide entry/exit points for air flow underneath thesolar panels 15. In some implementations, additional structures may beaccommodated within the air gaps 16, 17 as further exemplified belowwith respect to FIG. 13.

In some implementations, the solar panels 15 may be provided along anentire length of the mounting rails 11. In such cases, the solar panels15 may completely cover an upper side of the handle members 12, 13, and,as a result, the air gaps 16, 17 may not be provided. Accordingly, amore seamless solar panel array may be provided when connecting multiplesolar panel assemblies 10 together end-to-end or side-to-side.

During use, solar panels can become hot as they tend to be positioned insunny locations and can absorb heat energy. In some cases, excessiveheating may reduce the efficiency of the solar cells. The solar panelsmay also trap heat and heat up the underlying structure on which it'smounted, such as the roof of a house. Accordingly, it can beadvantageous to provide additional cooling to the solar panels byproviding pathways for air flow underneath the solar panels. Inresidential applications, for instance, solar panels are often mounted afew inches above the roof, with airflow space beneath the solar panels,to help move heat away from the panels as well as the roof.

As shown in FIG. 2, open surfaces at the longitudinal ends of the solarpanel assembly 10 can help improve airflow underneath the solar panels15. For example, because the diameter D_(h) (e.g., 2 inches) of thehandle member 12 may be less than a thickness t_(r) (e.g., 4 inches) ofthe mounting rail 11, gaps are provided at the longitudinal end faces ofthe solar panel assembly 10 above and/or below the handle member.Accordingly, outside air can more readily enter the region underneaththe solar panels, as illustrated by arrows B and C, through the open endfaces. Additional air can enter through the air gaps 16, 17 that areprovided at the upper surface of the solar panel assembly 10 (FIG. 1).As further explained below with respect to FIG. 6, an airflow passage 25may be defined below the solar panels 15 to provide a continuous airflowunderneath. Accordingly, air that enters at one longitudinal end of thesolar panel assembly 10 may exit at the opposite longitudinal end, andvice versa.

FIG. 3 is a close-up of area A in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the outerlateral surfaces of the mounting rails 11 can include one or morelateral coupling holes 20. The lateral coupling holes 20 are designed tobe aligned with corresponding lateral coupling holes of an adjacentlypositioned solar panel assembly 10 such that multiple solar panelassemblies can be attached to each other in the lateral direction (see,e.g., FIGS. 8 and 11). A nut and bolt assembly or other types ofcoupling structures can be inserted through adjacently positioned andaligned lateral coupling holes 20 to thereby attach the solar panelassemblies to each other. In some implementations, wire grommets 21 maybe provided at the mounting rails 11. For example, wire grommets 21positioned at the outer lateral surfaces of the mounting rails 11 can beused to pass through and connect wiring between solar panel assembliesthat are coupled to each other.

Referring also to FIGS. 4 and 5, the mounting rails 11 and otherstructural elements of the solar panel assembly 10 are shown without thesolar panels 15. As noted above, the solar panels may be removablymounted to the mounting rails 11 via mounting holes 18, for example.

One or more cross members 22 may be provided between the pair ofmounting rails 11. The cross members 22 are designed to provideadditional structural support to the solar panel assembly 10. In oneimplementation, the cross members 22 may be welded to the inner surfacesof the mounting rails 11. The inner surface of the mounting rail 11 atwhich the cross member is attached may define an opening thatcorresponds to a hollow interior of the cross member 22. Accordingly, aninterior conduit, which for example can be used to accommodate wiringand other components of the solar panel assembly 10, may be continuouslyformed throughout the interior portions of the mounting rails 11 and thecross members 22. The cross members 22 may be made from same ordifferent materials as the mounting rails 11. In some cases, preformedaluminum rectangular tubes, for example having a width of 2 inches and aheight of 4 inches, may be used by being cut to the desired length. Insome cases, the cross members may have a width of 4 inches and a heightof 2 inches. The cross-sectional area of the cross members 22 may begreater than the cross-sectional area of the handle members 12, 13.

The number of cross members 22 provided may depend on the weight andrigidity requirements of the particular system, among others. While twocross members 22 are shown in FIG. 4, different numbers of cross members22 may be used as needed. For example, fewer cross members 22, forexample just one cross member 22, may be provided if minimizing weightis a critical feature. In other cases, more cross members 22, forexample three or four cross members 22, may be provided if maximizingstructural rigidity is important. While at least one cross member 22should be provided for structural rigidity, no cross members may beprovided in certain cases if sufficient structural rigidity is providedby the two handle members 12, 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cross members 22 may be disposed at locationsthat correspond to seams or gaps between adjacent solar panels 15.Alternatively, the cross members 22 may be disposed at locations that donot overlap with the seams. By providing the cross members 22 atlocations that do not overlap with the gaps between the solar panels 15,air flow entering the space underneath the solar panels 15 through thegaps may be minimally impeded by the cross members 22.

Referring further to FIGS. 6 and 7, cutaway views of the solar panelassembly 10 taken along line D-D in FIG. 2 are shown. Alternativeimplementations of the cross member 22 are depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7,respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, a cross member 22 a may have a vertical thicknessthat is less than that of the mounting rails 11. For example, the crossmembers 22 a may have a thickness that is approximately half of themounting rails 11. Accordingly, a continuous airflow passage 25 may bedefined through an entire longitudinal length of the solar panelassembly 10 between the lower surfaces of the solar panels 15 and theupper surfaces of the cross members 22 a. Thus, air entering the regionunderneath the solar panels 15 from either of the open end faces at thelongitudinal ends of the mounting rails 11 can have a substantiallyunimpeded, continuous pathway for flowing underneath the solar panels15. The resulting improvement in air flow may help move away more heatfrom the panels.

In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 7, a cross member 22 b mayhave a vertical thickness that is equal or substantially equal to thatof the mounting rails 11. In such cases, air underneath the solar panelscan flow over the cross members 22 b via the empty space that is definedbelow the solar panel 15 by the frame surrounding each solar panel 15.Here, positioning the cross members 22 b to not overlap with theseams/gaps between the solar panels 15, as noted above, can help providea clearer pathway for airflow to runs continuously beneath the solarpanels 15.

In some implementations, because hollow structures such as aluminumpipes can be used to form the mounting rails 11 as well as the crossmembers 22, a hollow interior conduit 23 can be formed within themounting rails 11 and the cross members 22. Accordingly, various wiringand other components of the solar panel assembly 10, such as cable andwires for the solar panels 15, can be routed inside these conduits. Asfurther illustrated in FIG. 4, various wire grommets 21 may bepositioned at desired locations throughout the mounting rails 11 and thecross members 22 to help route such wiring into and out of the interiorconduit 23.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the overall dimensions of the solar panelassembly 10 may be optimized for transport. For example, the solar panelassembly 10 may be sized to be easily transportable in standard shippingcontainers, which can generally have dimensions of around 8 ft. (W)×8ft. (H)×20 ft. (L). Shipping containers having shorter (e.g., 10 ft.) orlonger (e.g., 40 ft.) lengths are also widely available.

In view of standard shipping container sizes, which are often employedin field-deployable applications, the solar panel assembly 10 may have,for example, a longitudinal length of approximately 180 to 190 inches, alateral width of approximately 60 to 70 inches, and a vertical thicknessof 6 to 10 inches. Accordingly, approximately 10 to 15 solar panelassemblies 10 having these exemplary dimensions may be safelytransported in a 8′×8′×20′ container. Of course, a greater or fewernumber of solar panel assemblies may be transported depending on theparticular sizes of the solar panel assemblies and the shippingcontainers.

In some implementations, horizontal or vertical racks may be providedinside the shipping containers to keep the solar panel assemblies 10secured and spaced apart from each other during transport. A tray rackconfiguration, for instance, may be used. Alternatively, spacers may beplaced between adjacent solar panel assemblies 10 to maintain spacingbetween the solar panel assemblies 10 during shipping.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an example interconnected solar panel system30, which is made up of individual solar panel assemblies 10 that areattached to each other, is shown. The solar panel system 30 may bemounted to a shipping container 31, as illustrated, to generate powerwhile also providing additional cooling and shading to the shippingcontainer 31. In some cases, the shipping container 31 may be used as anoffice or a workspace, for example. As explained above, the solar panelassemblies 10 may be attached to each other via lateral coupling holes20 (FIG. 3).

In one implementation, in order to mount the solar panel system 30 ontoa structure such as the shipping container 31, the solar panel system 30may first be leaned against the shipping container 31 such that onelongitudinal end of the system is placed on the ground and the other endis elevated above the shipping container 31. Then, the entire solarpanel system 30 may be pivoted onto the top surface of the structure bypulling on the elevated end and/or pushing upward on the grounded end.Ropes and other types of rigging devices may be used to grab onto thehandle member at the elevated end and pull on the handle member to pivotthe solar panel system 30 onto the shipping container 31. Accordingly,the use of cranes, forklifts, or other large equipment may not be neededto lift the solar panel system 30 onto the shipping container 31.

Once the solar panel system 30 has been positioned at the desiredlocation atop the shipping container 31, the solar panel system 30 maybe fixed in place using conventional mounting hardware. In some cases,solar panel assemblies 10 may first be individually positioned atop theshipping container 31 in the manner described above and subsequentlyattached to each other. In some cases, the solar panel system 30 may befixed to corrugated steel panels that are pre-installed on top of theshipping container 31.

In some implementations, conventional racking systems may not berequired to affix the solar panel system 30 to the container. Forexample, wires, ropes, and other types of rigging equipment may be usedto directly tie the solar panel system to the shipping container, forexample to its corners, to provide a secure attachment to the shippingcontainer. Alternatively, or additionally, wires or ropes tied to thesolar panel system 30 may be attached to sandbags and other anchors thatare placed on the shipping container or on the ground. In some cases,sandbags or other heavy objects may simply be placed on top of the solarpanel system 30 to keep it fixed atop the shipping container.

Although the solar panel system 30 shown in FIG. 8 includes solar panelassemblies that are laterally connected to each other, solar panelassemblies may alternatively or additionally be connected to each otheralong the longitudinal direction. For instance, the pair of mountingrails of a first solar panel assembly may be aligned with and attachedto the pair of mounting rails of a second solar panel assembly. Aconnection plate may be used, for example, to connect the mounting holes20 of the first solar panel assembly to those of the second solar panelassembly.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 10, an example free-standing solar panelassembly 40 is illustrated. FIG. 10 shows a close-up of area E in FIG.9.

The free-standing solar panel assembly 40 may include support legs 41that support and elevate the assembly off the ground. The free-standingsolar panel assembly 40 can thus be used as an outdoor canopy or shade,for instance, to provide protection from sun and rain. The structuralconfiguration of the free-standing solar panel assembly 40 may beotherwise identical to that of the solar panel assembly 10 as describedabove with respect to FIGS. 1-7.

As shown in FIG. 10, the support legs 41 may be inserted through supportleg openings 19 (FIG. 4) that are provided at longitudinal end portionsof the mounting rails 11. The support legs 41 may be secured in placevia wire lock pins 42 or other types of securing mechanisms. The supportleg 41 may be made from metal or other suitable materials and can have adiameter of approximately 1 to 2 inches and a length of approximately 2to 10 feet. In some cases, metal and other types of pipes may be used toform the support legs 41.

In some implementations, the height of the support legs 41, eitherindividually or collectively as a group, may be adjusted to adjust anelevation height of the solar panels. Additionally, individual heightsof the supports legs 41 may be adjusted to account for uneven terrain,thereby allowing the solar panel structure to maintain stability. Insome cases, the height of one or more of the support legs 41 may beadjusted to provide a tilt to the solar panels. As one example, twosupport legs at one longitudinal end of the solar panel assembly may bemade shorter to allow water and other debris accumulated on the solarpanel surface to flow toward the vertically lower side. In some cases, agutter structure (FIG. 13) may be positioned at the vertically loweredside to collect and/or channel away the water and debris. The heights ofthe support legs may also be adjusted to tilt the solar panel towardsunlight, thereby helping to enhance photovoltaic efficiency.

In some implementations, the support legs 41 may include a plurality ofreceiving holes that are spaced apart along a length of the support legand that are configured to receive the wire lock pins 42 or other typesof securing mechanisms. By inserting the wire locks 42 into differentreceiving holes provided along the support leg, the effective height ofthe support leg 41 may be adjusted.

An example free-standing solar panel system 50 is shown in FIG. 11. Asillustrated, a plurality of free-standing panel assemblies 40 may beattached to each other via lateral coupling holes 20 (FIG. 3) to providea larger surface area. The total number of support legs 41 may beadjusted as needed. For example, as illustrated, the support legs 41 mayonly be provided at the four corners of the overall system 50. Thisconfiguration can help maximize usable space underneath the structure.Additional support legs 41 may be provided to the interior mountingrails 11 as needed for additional support. Gaskets or other sealingelements may be disposed between adjacently positioned solar panelassemblies to help prevent water from flowing to the underside of thesolar panels.

In some implementations, the free-standing solar panel assembly 40 orthe free-standing solar panel system 50 may be secured further throughadditional anchoring features, for example to withstand wind gusts. Inone example, wires/ropes may be used to secure the solar panelassembly/system to the ground, for example by using stakes, sandbags, orother types of anchors that anchor the wires/ropes to the ground. Theother end of the wires/ropes may be tied around the handle members orthe mounting rails as needed.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a gutter structure 60 can be accommodatedat one or both longitudinal ends of the solar panel assembly 10 to helpcollect and channel away water and other debris from the surface of thesolar panels. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the gutter structure 60 may beinstalled within one or both of the air gaps 16, 17.

In some implementations, the solar panel assembly 10 may be tilted, forexample by mounting on the shipping container 31 at an angle or byproviding support legs 41 at one longitudinal end that are slightlyshorter than the support legs 41 at the opposite end. In such cases, thetilt of the solar panel assembly 10 may serve to direct water and debristoward the air gap positioned at the vertically lower end of the solarpanel assembly 10. The gutter structure 60 may be installed in thevertically lower air gap to help collect and channel water away from thesolar panel assembly 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the gutter structure 60 may include a centralcavity 61 that is designed to receive the water/debris from the surfaceof the solar panels and one or two spouts 62 positioned at lateral endportions of the central cavity 61 to direct the received water/debrisaway from the solar panel assembly.

The gutter structure 60 may be mounted to the solar panel assembly viaan outer engagement portion 63 and an inner engagement portion 64 thatextend vertically upward from the central cavity 61. The outerengagement portion 63 may be designed to latch onto the handle member,and the inner engagement portion 64 may be designed to latch onto theframe of the solar panel.

In some implementations, adjacent gutter structures 60 can be configuredto couple to each other. For example, when two solar panel assembliesare attached side-to-side, the spout of one gutter structure may beconfigured to be inserted into central cavity of the other gutterstructure, thereby providing a fluidic connection between the two gutterstructures. In such cases, all of the collected water/debris frommultiple central cavities may be channeled away through a single,laterally outermost spout. In some implementations, cisterns, barrels,and water types of water containers may be placed on the ground and usedto collect water that has been discharged through the spout 62.

Referring to FIGS. 14 to 16, an example solar panel assembly 70 having apressure washing system 71 is illustrated. FIG. 15 shows a close-up ofarea F in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 shows a close-up of area G in FIG. 14.Except for the pressure washing system 71, the structural configurationof the solar panel assembly 70 may be otherwise identical to that of thesolar panel assembly 10 as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-7.

The pressure washing system 71 may be provided at one end of the solarpanel assembly 70 to help clear way dust and other debris that may haveaccumulated on the solar panels. As seen in FIG. 15, the pressurewashing system 71 may include a plurality of spray nozzles 72 that aredesigned to spray water directly onto the solar panel surface. Forexample, the spray nozzles 72 may be evenly distributed across an entirelateral width of the solar panels. The spray nozzles 72 may bepositioned 1 to 3 inches from the solar panel surface, for example. Thegutter structure 60, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 13, may bepositioned at the opposite end of the solar panel assembly 70 to helpcollect and channel away the sprayed water.

Referring also to FIG. 16, the pressure washing system 71 may includewater supply pipes 73 provided within the interior conduits 23 to helpsupply pressurized water to the spray nozzles 72. The water supply pipes73 may include quick-disconnect fittings to help easily connect toadjacent solar panel assemblies or to an external water source.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea ofthe present disclosure, and various modifications and changes may bemade thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from theessential characteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, theimplementations of the present disclosure are not intended to limit thetechnical spirit of the present disclosure but to illustrate thetechnical idea of the present disclosure, and the technical spirit ofthe present disclosure is not limited by these implementations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular solar panel assembly, comprising: apair of mounting rails that extend parallel to each other along alongitudinal direction of the solar panel assembly; a first handlemember extending laterally between the pair of mounting rails at a firstlongitudinal end portion of the mounting rails; a second handle memberextending laterally between the pair of mounting rails at a secondlongitudinal end portion of the mounting rails opposite the firstlongitudinal end portion; one or more cross members that extendlaterally between the pair of mounting rails, the one or more crossmembers being positioned between the first and second handle members inthe longitudinal direction; and a plurality of solar panels that areattached to the pair of mounting rails, the plurality of solar panelsbeing arranged adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction,wherein a first gap is defined between the first handle member and afirst longitudinal edge of the plurality of solar panels that is closestto the first handle member, and a second gap is defined between thesecond handle member and a second longitudinal edge of the plurality ofsolar panels that is closest to the second handle member, and wherein avertical thickness of the first and second handle members along avertical direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal and lateraldirections is less than a vertical thickness of the pair of mountingrails.
 2. The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein across-sectional area of the one or more cross members is greater than across-sectional area of the first and second handle members.
 3. Themodular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and secondhandle members have a circular cross-section.
 4. The modular solar panelassembly of claim 3, wherein the first and second handle members includea textured or rubberized outer surface.
 5. The modular solar panelassembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of mounting rails and the one ormore cross members have a rectangular cross-section.
 6. The modularsolar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solar panelsare attached to an upper surface of the pair of mounting rails.
 7. Themodular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein an airflow passage isdefined between a lower surface of the plurality of solar panels and anupper surface of the one or more cross members and the first and secondhandle members, the airflow passage extending continuously from thefirst longitudinal end portion to the second longitudinal end portion.8. The module solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the first andsecond members and the pair of mounting rails define open faces atrespective longitudinal end surfaces of the solar panel assembly.
 9. Themodular solar panel assembly of claim 6, wherein the upper surface ofthe one or more cross members are positioned vertically lower than theupper surface of the pair of mounting rails.
 10. The modular solar panelassembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of mounting rails and the one ormore cross members define interior conduits.
 11. The modular solar panelassembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of support legs thatextend vertically downward from the first and second longitudinal endportions of the mounting rails to elevate the plurality of solar panelsfrom a ground surface, wherein the modular solar panel assembly isconfigured to be free standing on the ground surface via the pluralityof support legs.
 12. The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1,further comprising a gutter structure that is accommodated in one orboth of the first and second gaps, the gutter structure being configuredto receive water flowing from upper surfaces of the plurality of solarpanels.
 13. The modular solar panel assembly of claim 12, wherein thegutter structure includes one or more side spouts that extend laterallybeyond the lateral outer surfaces of the mounting rails to discharge thereceived water.
 14. The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1, whereina metal frame surrounds a periphery of each of the plurality of solarpanels, the metal frame defining a space underneath the solar panel. 15.The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of theone or more cross members are provided at positions that correspond togaps defined between adjacent ones of the plurality of solar panels. 16.The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of theone or more cross members are provided at positions that do not overlapwith gaps defined between adjacent ones of the plurality of solarpanels.
 17. The modular solar panel assembly of claim 1, wherein apressure washing system is provided at one longitudinal end of the solarpanel assembly, the pressure washing system being configured to spraywater onto a surface of the solar panel.
 18. The modular solar panelassembly of claim 17, wherein water supply pipes are disposed inside themounting rails, the water supply pipes being configured to supplypressurized water to the pressure washing system.
 19. A solar panelsystem comprising a plurality of the modular solar panel assemblies ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of modular solar panel assemblies arearranged adjacent to each other along the lateral direction and coupledto each other via coupling holes defined at lateral outer surfaces ofthe mounting rails.
 20. The solar panel system of claim 19, comprising aplurality of support legs that extend vertically downward from fourcorner regions of the solar panel system to elevate the plurality of themodular solar panel assemblies from a ground surface, wherein the solarpanel system is configured to be free standing on the ground surface viathe plurality of support legs.